How to Draw a Site Plan for a Building Permit in Newmarket

If you are applying for a building permit in Town of Newmarket, the site plan should make the location of the proposed work clear before a reviewer gets to the construction drawings. Town of Newmarket's local permit guidance refers to site plans or siting plans for common homeowner projects such as swimming pools, driveway widening and curb cuts, signs, decks, sheds, detached garages, gazebos, and pavilions.

This guide explains how to draw a site plan for a building permit in Town of Newmarket, what details to show for the local project types, and when to use a survey instead of a simple hand-drawn plan.

New to site plans?

If this is your first one, read what a site plan is and why you need one in Ontario first. It covers how a site plan differs from a survey, a floor plan and an elevation, what setbacks and easements actually mean, and why municipalities ask for the drawing at all. Then come back here for what Town of Newmarket expects on top of that.

Town of Newmarket uses a few related terms for the same drawing. Pool guidance calls for a property site plan. Deck guidance asks for a drawing of the complete property and its boundaries. The accessory structure zoning information sheets use the term siting plan. Treat each one as a property drawing that locates the work clearly enough for zoning and permit review.

Do you need a site plan?

You usually need a site plan when the proposed work has a fixed location on the property. Town of Newmarket publishes guidance per project type:

• Homeowner's guide to decks (PDF)
• Detached garage zoning information sheet (fillable PDF)
• Gazebo, pavilion and shed zoning information sheet (fillable PDF)
• Swimming pool enclosures
• Driveway widening and curb cuts
• Sign permit application (PDF)

For a swimming pool enclosure, Town of Newmarket asks for a property site plan showing the proposed pool and equipment in relation to property lines, buildings, and easements. The Town notes that these plans may be hand drawn.

For driveway widening and curb cuts, Town of Newmarket tells applicants to prepare a drawing using a copy of the property survey. The survey or drawing needs to show existing and proposed driveway widths, the width between sidewalk and curb, property lines, and the location and distance in metres from the proposed driveway and property lines to nearby trees, utilities, streetlights, hydro poles, or other permanent fixtures.

Create a site plan for free using HomeCat that gets your building permit approved in Town of Newmarket. Get started

Site plan requirements for building permits in Town of Newmarket

The exact Town of Newmarket site plan requirements depend on the project type, but a permit-ready drawing usually needs to show:

• Property lines and lot dimensions in metric units when required
• Existing house and major structures
• Street name, driveway, and curb or sidewalk context when relevant
• Proposed work clearly labelled
• Dimensions of the proposed work
• Setbacks from the proposed work to the property lines
• Nearby buildings, structures, trees, utilities, streetlights, hydro poles, or other permanent fixtures when they affect the project
• Easements when they apply, especially for pool projects
• North arrow and scale when Town of Newmarket asks for them

Use Town of Newmarket's checklist for your exact permit type first. Then make the site plan answer the practical review questions: where the work is, how large it is, how far it is from the property lines, and what existing features are nearby.

Swimming pool enclosures

For a swimming pool enclosure, show the proposed location of the swimming pool and pool equipment in relation to property lines, buildings, and easements. Town of Newmarket's pool guidance says these plans may be hand drawn, but the drawing still needs to be clear enough to review.

If the pool is close to the house, deck, shed, garage, fence, easement, or another structure, include those items and add the relevant distances. Label the pool and equipment as proposed so they are not confused with existing features.

Driveway widening and curb cuts

For driveway widening or a curb cut, start with a copy of your property survey. Show the existing driveway width, proposed driveway width, width between sidewalk and curb, and property lines.

Also show the location and distance, in metres, from the proposed driveway and property lines to nearby trees, utilities, streetlights, hydro poles, or other permanent fixtures. This project type needs more street-front detail than a typical backyard deck or shed plan.

Signs

For a sign permit, prepare the survey or site plan to scale and use metric measurements. Show the proposed sign location, total frontage of the property, all boundary lines, existing signage, and all entrances and exits from buildings.

The reviewer should be able to understand both where the new sign sits on the property and how it relates to the building entrances, exits, boundaries, and existing signs.

Decks

For a deck, Town of Newmarket's homeowner deck guide asks for a drawing showing the complete property and its boundaries, plus the location of all structures in relation to those boundaries. Include the scale, north arrow, lot lines and lot dimensions in metric units, existing and proposed deck construction, and setbacks to all lot lines measured perpendicular to the lot line and to the closest point of the structure.

Deck site plan example for Town of Newmarket

If the deck connects to the house, show the wall it attaches to. If stairs, landings, nearby accessory structures, fences, easements, or other site features affect the layout, include them as well.

Sheds, detached garages, gazebos, and pavilions

For residential accessory structures such as a gazebo, pavilion, garage, or shed, Town of Newmarket's zoning information sheets refer to a siting plan. Show the proposed accessory structure, the property lines, the existing house and nearby structures, and the setbacks from the proposed structure to the lot lines.

Add the proposed structure dimensions and label the project clearly. A blank rectangle without context is not enough; the siting plan should show how the structure fits on the whole property.

How to draw your Town of Newmarket site plan

The quickest route is to create a site plan with HomeCat — walk your property with your phone and get a permit-ready drawing back, free.

If you would rather draw it yourself, our DIY guide to drawing a site plan in Ontario covers all three methods step by step: from a survey, from a Google Maps screenshot, or by hand.

Which method you need depends on the permit. Town of Newmarket says a property site plan for a swimming pool enclosure may be hand drawn, so the by-hand method is enough there. Driveway widening and curb cuts are the opposite: the Town asks you to prepare the drawing on a copy of the property survey, so use the survey method. For decks, signs, sheds, detached garages, gazebos, and pavilions, a survey is the safer base whenever the work sits near a lot line or an easement.

If you do not have a survey, look through your closing package, ask your lawyer, closing agent, or mortgage company, or submit a Freedom of Information request to Town of Newmarket. Read our guide to getting a property survey in Ontario before paying for a new one.

Keep the measurements in metric. Town of Newmarket asks for metric lot dimensions on deck plans, distances in metres from the driveway and property lines to nearby trees, utilities, streetlights, and hydro poles on driveway widening plans, and metric measurements on sign permit plans. Label every proposed item so it cannot be mistaken for an existing one.

Create a site plan for free using HomeCat that gets your building permit approved in Town of Newmarket. Get started

Site plan examples for permit for Town of Newmarket

Town of Newmarket's deck guide includes a sample deck site plan. Use it as a format reference for the level of detail, not as a source of measurements for your property.

Deck site plan example for Town of Newmarket

A strong Town of Newmarket site plan example shows the whole property, the existing house and structures, the proposed work, metric dimensions, and setbacks. For driveway widening, it also shows the driveway and street-front fixtures. For signs, it shows boundary lines, frontage, existing signs, and building entrances and exits. For pools, it shows the proposed pool and equipment in relation to property lines, buildings, and easements.

Common site plan mistakes that delay your building permit in Town of Newmarket

Most site plan delays happen when the drawing does not answer the reviewer's basic location questions. Before submitting, compare the site plan against the Town of Newmarket guide or form for your project type.

Missing the complete property layout

Do not draw only the proposed deck, pool, sign, driveway, or shed. Town of Newmarket deck guidance asks for the complete property and its boundaries, and the same full-property context helps with other exterior permit reviews.

Missing metric measurements

Town of Newmarket's local instructions call for metric measurements for several project types. Deck guidance asks for lot lines and lot dimensions in metric units. Driveway widening guidance asks for distances in metres. Sign permit guidance asks for measurements in metric.

Missing setbacks to all required lot lines

For decks, show setbacks to all lot lines, measured perpendicular to the lot line and to the closest point of the structure. For accessory structures, pools, signs, and driveway work, add the property-line distances that explain the proposed location.

Forgetting nearby fixtures for driveway widening

For a driveway widening or curb cut, show nearby trees, utilities, streetlights, hydro poles, and other permanent fixtures. Add the distance in metres from the proposed driveway and property lines to those items.

Leaving out easements or existing signs

Pool plans should show easements when they apply. Sign permit drawings should show existing signage and entrances and exits from buildings. These details may look secondary, but they are part of the local review.

Frequently asked questions about site plans

Can homeowners prepare and submit their own drawings in Town of Newmarket?

Yes. In Ontario, homeowners can generally prepare drawings for a house they own because the Ontario Building Code exempts design work for "a house owned by the person" from the usual designer qualification requirements under Division C, Article 3.2.5.1.(3)(b)(i).

Town of Newmarket still needs drawings that are detailed enough for permit review. Complex, engineered, or non-prescriptive work may still require a qualified professional.

What if Town of Newmarket asks me to fill out Schedule 1: Designer Information?

If you are using the Ontario homeowner exemption, the design activity is usually House. In the description, write the actual project, such as "deck," "pool enclosure," "shed," "detached garage," or "driveway widening."

Under the designer declaration, choose the option stating that the design work is exempt from registration and qualification requirements of the Building Code. For the basis of exemption, enter Homeowner.

Where can I get a legal property survey in Town of Newmarket?

Start with your closing package, then ask your lawyer, closing agent, or mortgage company. If you still cannot find one, submit a Freedom of Information request to Town of Newmarket. The Town's Freedom of Information and privacy process is the local route for requesting municipal records that may include property survey information when available.

Read our Ontario ultimate guide for getting a property survey before paying for a new survey.

Does my survey need to be recent?

For many Ontario residential permits, the important question is whether the survey still reflects the property accurately enough to review the proposed work. If your survey is old, compare it against the property today and add current structures, proposed work, and any changed site features.

For driveway widening and curb cuts in Town of Newmarket, use the property survey as the base and add the current driveway widths, curb and sidewalk information, and nearby fixtures. If you are unsure whether an older survey is acceptable for your permit type, confirm with Town of Newmarket before submitting.

Can I use Google Maps for my Town of Newmarket site plan?

Use online maps only for private planning or a rough layout. Google Maps does not provide legal property lines, and Town of Newmarket's local guidance often asks for property boundaries, metric lot dimensions, scale, survey-based driveway information, or distances to specific fixtures.

For the final permit drawing, use a property survey when Town of Newmarket asks for one or when exact setbacks matter. A hand-drawn plan is most appropriate where Town of Newmarket allows it, such as the property site plan for a swimming pool enclosure.

What if Town of Newmarket rejects my site plan?

Read the review comments and revise the drawing to answer each one directly. Common fixes include adding metric measurements, missing property-line setbacks, the complete property boundary, nearby structures, driveway fixture distances, easements, existing signage, entrances and exits, or clearer labels for the proposed work.

How can I verify the site plan is correct?

Compare your drawing against the Town of Newmarket permit guide for your project type before submitting. Make sure the site plan shows the property lines, existing house, proposed work, dimensions, setbacks, and the project-specific items required for pools, driveway widening and curb cuts, signs, decks, or accessory structures.

Conclusion

A good Town of Newmarket site plan starts with the property boundary and then makes the proposed work easy to review. Use a survey when the Town asks for one or when exact property-line information matters, keep measurements in metric where required, and add the project-specific details for your pool, driveway widening, sign, deck, shed, detached garage, gazebo, or pavilion.

Create a site plan for free using HomeCat that gets your building permit approved in Town of Newmarket. Get started